Clynelish 14 Year
Located just north of Inverness, Clynelish has been operating at its current location for almost 50 years. Curiously, the distillery provides a great deal of the spirit that is used in Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and only has two commercial products, a Distiller’s Edition and this 14 year offering (there is a “distillery only” bottle available on sight that is cask strength). With such a narrow single malt offering and so much of their output going to blended use, what sort of exploration will this highland malt offer?
Mackmyra First Edition
Mackmyra was born of eight Swedish friends who loved good whisky. The Mackmyra First Edition, as the name implies, was their first wide release in 2008. The distillery exemplifies what we love to see foreign (i.e. non-Scottish) distillers do: embrace their own locality and make great whisky from what lays around them instead of seeking to emulate scotch. They continue to grow in output and accolades, but this first try is enough to give whisky drinkers ample notice.
McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt
From one of the very few artisanal distilleries in the United States, McCarthy’s has only been in production since 2000. It hasn’t wasted any time, though, winning awards and other high marks in short order. McCarthy’s is also unique in that the whisky is made from peated malt imported from Islay, given that Oregon shares certain climate qualities with Scotland. The aging renders their young whisky surprisingly smooth.